🦈🔨 Hammerhead Shark Dive
Dive into our project like a team of agile hammerhead sharks! Let’s surface our strongest swims, dodged obstacles, and plan sharper moves for the next sprint. Ready for a deep dive into improvement?
Template Columns
🌊 Smooth Swims
Celebrate the successful maneuvers and victories of our sprint, just like a hammerhead gliding through clear water.
Base column: What Went Well🦈 Choppy Waters
Identify the challenges and hazards we encountered under the surface, just as a shark faces strong currents.
Base column: What Went Wrong🔨 Sharpened Skills
Discuss ways we can hone our skills and team agility for an even better dive next time.
Base column: What We Want to ImproveAbout this template
The Hammerhead Shark Dive retrospective helps teams celebrate wins, confront challenges, and identify improvements through a fun, themed structure. It encourages sharp reflection and actionable outcomes.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective at the end of a sprint or project iteration, especially when the team needs a fresh, engaging way to explore successes and areas for growth.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and introduce the Hammerhead Shark Dive theme to set an open, energetic tone.
Explain the three columns: Smooth Swims for accomplishments, Choppy Waters for challenges, and Sharpened Skills for improvements.
Give team members several minutes to add reflections under each column using virtual sticky notes or cards.
Invite the team to read through all contributions, then facilitate a discussion starting with Smooth Swims, moving to Choppy Waters, and finishing with Sharpened Skills.
Group similar points together and encourage follow-up questions to deepen insights and surface patterns.
Guide the team in co-creating concrete action items from ideas in the Sharpened Skills column.
End with a quick round of appreciations or shoutouts to close on a positive note.
Pro Tips
Use the shark analogy to create lighthearted engagement but keep discussions focused on real issues.
Encourage everyone to contribute in each column, regardless of their role or experience.
Use anonymity for note submissions if your team tends to hold back critical feedback.
Check in during the conversation if certain voices are dominating and invite quieter team members to share.
Review previous Sharpened Skills actions to connect past learning to current improvements.
FAQ
What if team members are shy or reluctant to share under Choppy Waters?
Set an example by sharing your own honest challenges, and offer optional anonymous note submissions to make it safer for others.
How do we make sure Sharpened Skills ideas lead to real action?
Turn each improvement into a clear, assigned action item and review progress in the next retrospective.
Is this format suitable for large teams or cross-team retros?
For larger groups, break into smaller sub-teams for initial reflection, then reconvene to share highlights and identify shared themes.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective